Trials and Tribulations
Chapter 7
Their friendship was a mystery. Like most friends would do, Cho and Hermione would talk with each other, and sometimes even gossip about the latest rumors they had heard around school and in the girl's bathroom. They'd study together in the library and when it came time for the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. testing, they both freaked out together. However, if they had a nighttime study session when nobody was around, Cho would end their meeting with a small, chaste kiss on the cheek.
Even still, it was hard for Hermione to figure out if there was something going on between them. Sure there had been the two kisses on the lips, and the occasional parting pecks on the cheek, but they hadn't really discussed their relationship any further. She wasn't even sure if Cho even liked her in that way, though she had come to the conclusion that there was something deeper there than just friendship.
It never really came into question until one Friday night.
"Hermione!" Cho caught up to the brown-haired girl walking in the hallway accompanied by Harry and Ron. She gave Ron a hug.
Harry laughed as Ron's face exploded into red, "Uh, Cho, I think you got the wrong person." Ron chuckled nervously, "Well, erm, I don't mind." Hermione elbowed him rather sharply in the side.
Cho jumped back and smiled sheepishly, "Well, can I speak with you Hermione?" She nodded, and grabbed Cho's hand, guiding her to a nearby hallway close to the boy's and girl's bathrooms, which was fairly deserted at the moment.
"Something you need?" asked Hermione as Cho gave her a hug. "Haha, sorry, that's for missing you earlier and getting the Weasley guy. What's his name, Ron? Oh, well, I wanted to see what you were doing later today, and please don't say studying because O.W.L. exams were a few days ago, so you don't have an excuse."
Hermione smiled widely, "Well, now that you mention it, I haven't gotten out in quite a while, and too much studying makes me a cranky person."
Laughing at that comment, Cho couldn't help but smirk, "Since when did you ever get cranky about studying? Last I remember, nothing could get you away from a good textbook."
"Studying, no matter how much it takes up my life and how it practically consumes most of my waking hours, does not equal a social life. I need to get out! So…what did you have in mind?"
Cho looked at her with a mysterious grin, "Well, like normal, just eat dinner here at the Great Hall, but we can sit together. And maybe… after that, I can take you somewhere special."
Hermione took a step closer and looked up at Cho, who had turned a slight shade of pink and started to stutter at that point, "Wait…are you asking me on a date, Cho?" she asked with a flirtatious undertone.
"Err… um… you know…kind of…sort of…maybe…well, it's because uh…I really like…you…and … stuff…and maybe…" she trailed off, mumbling almost too silently to be heard.
Just to torture the poor girl, Hermione looked at her with a wicked but jokingly smile, and a twinkle in her eyes, "What was that last part Cho…? You know, I couldn't hear you, a dreadful draft wafted by my ears… could you repeat that?"
Cho blushed and stared at the ground, "I…really…like…y-"
Her words were cut short as Draco Malfoy ran right into her. "Watch where you are walking Chang! You'll mess up my hair."
Hermione shot him a death glare, "She wasn't walking Malfoy, she was standing. It's you who should watch where you're going." He looked at her with his eyebrow arched, a smug look was plastered on his face.
"Well, well, if it isn't Miss Granger, the Muggle-born, or…should I say the other word? The one that seems to hurt so much more, you Mudbl-" seething with anger, Hermione raised her fist in an attempt to threaten Draco, but as her fist raised up, Cho's had already smashed into his face.
She stared into his surprised eyes with a menacing look, "Go away Malfoy."
He looked at her for a few more moments rubbing his cheek, and then frowned, "Why you… just look at what you did to my face! And now my hair has been messed up as well, I hope you're happy. It took me mere hours to fix this up, not a strand out of place. Lots of gel as well, but I don't suppose you know the pain of fixing hair with gel. You'll regret that."
He walked away leaving both girls laughing uncontrollably. Hermione looked at Cho while trying to suppress the rising giggles, "Haha, you know, if it wasn't for his foul attitude and personality, he could actually be funny. His obsession with his hair is very interesting indeed."
Cho nodded in agreement, her black hair swaying behind her, "So, you can come tonight, right?" Hermione bobbed her head up and down.
"Great, then I'll see you around the Great Hall tonight. See you around." Cho began walking away until Hermione jogged up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Wait." She placed a small kiss on her cheek, the thing that Cho occasionally did after they would study together. With that, she smiled and let her go. "I'll see you tonight."
They both walked away with their hearts filled to the brim with happiness. Hermione exploded with bliss and broke down into laughter and tears, all at the same time. "I can't believe it…she does like me."
She returned to the Gryffindor common room, still on the verge of another laughing fit. It was almost impossible to contain her happiness. Ron and Harry came up to her, a bit confused by her unusually cheerful state, and the fact that she had failed to suppress the giggles inside.
Ron looked at her funny, "Um… is there something wrong Hermione? You don't look too well. I mean, you look…flippin' crazy happy or something."
She looked at him and laughed even more, "Don't get your knickers in a knot Harry! I'm just fine!"
Harry looked at her, "Um…Hermione, I hope you know that's Ron you're talking to…"
Grabbing Harry's shoulders suddenly and shaking him, her face broke out into the brightest smile ever, "You know what! I don't care!" and with that, she bounded off to the girls' room as fast as she could leaving the utterly confused pair…well, even more confused.
They stared at the spot where she had stood a second ago, completely dumbfounded. His mouth agape, Ron turned to face Harry, "I think she's lost her mind! And what in blazes are knickers?"
Harry didn't even laugh at his comments, "Uh, knickers are the least of your worries Ron. But I do have to agree with you, I think she's lost it."
Hermione sat in her bed laughing uncontrollably while waiting for dinner. Gasping for air, she tried to settle down. "This is ridiculous! I'm getting so excited, maybe even too excited."
Ginny walked into the dormitory and spotted Hermione. "Hey, I haven't talked to you in a while. What's up? You seem…excited to say the least."
Her bushy hair swished around her face as she nodded quickly, "Yes, yes, I'm very…ecstatic! I'm going to have fun!"
The young Weasley looked at her skeptically, "Ooookay… go have fun. I have fun a lot too, I'm happy that you're deciding to have some break time from studying. May I ask, what fun you are going to have?"
"Certainly!" said Hermione as she smiled widely.
"…What fun are you going to have?" asked Ginny after a long pause of silence.
"I don't know, it's a secret!"
"GAH!" Ginny threw up her hands in frustration as she sighed and stood up. She cast Hermione a sly smile, "I bet it has something to do with a relationship. You always get flustered with love."
"But I don't love her yet!" she exclaimed, suddenly shutting her mouth as she realized what she had blurted out so unwisely.
At that outburst, Ginny turned her whole body to face Hermione, "What…what did you say? Repeat what you just said!" Scraping her mind for something, she came up with the worst cover-up ever.
"Um… I won't shove the bet?"
Ginny's jaw dropped at the unbelievably absurd sentence. "How can you possibly shove a bet…? Oh bother, never mind. See ya 'round Hermione. And please, straighten out your sentences, they don't seem to make sense, and you not making sense frightens me. Bye!" she waved and walked out of the dormitory after picking up a few quills and some assorted ink colors.
As Hermione watched her leave, she let out a deep breath of air, "Oh, what a relief. How stupid to let that slip," she snorted, "what a ludicrous comeback too. Heh, I won't shove the bet. Worst thing I've ever heard in my life."
After what seemed like an eternity, dinnertime finally arrived. Hermione ran over to the Great Hall with anticipation and scanned the extensive room for a glimpse of some familiar black hair.
She spotted Cho leaning against the wall in a corner in the far right side of the room holding a straw basket. Walking up to her, she put a friendly hand on her arm to show that she was in front of her.
"Hey Hermione. I kind of had an idea. Change of plans kind of. I already filled this basket full of some food and I was planning on taking us somewhere else. I hope you don't mind…"
Hermione grabbed her hand, "No I don't mind, where do you want to go?" Smiling, Cho started walking to her right. "Guide me to the Quidditch pitch please."
"Pardon me for asking, but can't you still see…?" Hermione stood there studying her features. Cho squeezed her hand reassuringly and smiled, "Well, yes, but I'd rather you guide me." Getting the hint, Hermione chuckled, "You're a devious one."
They walked hand in hand to the Quidditch area. It was almost dark outside, the sun just barely peeking out above the horizon painting the sky a collage of hot reds and oranges. Reaching a bench, Cho kneeled down and felt for her Comet Two-Sixty. Mounting the broom, she looked at the basket that she had set down on the bench.
"Locomotor basket." The straw bag lifted up and hovered behind them, the lid securely fastened. "Hop on Hermoine," she said, "and I promise I won't crash us into the ground." Without hesitation, Hermione jumped on the broom and wrapped her arms around Cho's waist.
"Take me away."
The broom lifted them both up and into the crimson sky. Speeding off into the open sky, the pair flew gracefully through the air with the basket following them not too far behind. Hermione enjoyed moments like these, when they were just alone. Her head rested firmly on Cho's back, and she just listened to her heartbeat. She felt at peace, sitting on the broom just like back when they were practicing for the tryouts, which seemed so long ago.
Then they came to a gentle stop. "Um, Cho, is something wrong? We're still flying…" she looked downward and judged that they must have been about two-hundred feet off the ground. The only thing in between them and imminent death, was a harmless cloud.
Suddenly, Cho swung her leg around and hopped off the broom. Hermione screamed as she saw Cho sink into the cloud, but then she held her breath as she witnessed an atmospheric impossibility.
Offering her hand, Cho stood confidently on the cloud and laughed, "Don't worry, it's generally solid, despite being a cloud. I found out about this back when I was playing Seeker for Ravenclaw. The golden snitch was right in front of me, and then I crashed in mid-air. At the time, I was confused, but I realized that this cloud defies…well, the definition of a cloud. It had solidified, and it was always here too, just, nobody had ever crashed into it before."
Looking at the 'ground' hesitantly, she grabbed Cho's outstretched hand and stood on the cloud. Almost expecting the material to collapse under her feet, she grabbed hold of Cho completely and closed her eyes tightly.
"Did I die?"
Cho laughed and summoned the basket over to them. "Come on, let's eat. I brought some stuff from the Great Hall while nobody was looking and shoved them in here. Haha, and we have the best view in the whole school."
They sat down on the feathery soft substance and fished around in the basket for something to eat. Surprisingly, Cho had grabbed quite an array of food. There was roast beef, roast potatoes, peppermint humbugs, and some Cornish pasties. A few thermoses contained some butterbeer, tea, and hot chocolate.
Eating in content silence, they stared as the sun sank deeply and melted into the horizon. It was a breathtaking view from up on top of the cloud, and Hermione had suddenly wished she had brought some sort of a camera.
After they finished the main course foods, and downed a bit of hot chocolate and tea, Cho reached into the basket and pulled out two chocolate gateau cakes. Handing one to Hermione, they began eating the silky dessert.
"This is…wonderful," said Hermione in between bites of the cake. Turning her head, Cho smiled, "What, the cake or being up here with me?"
Turning to face her, she smiled, "Both, though the former tastes delicious."
Looking mock-hurt, Cho put her hand on her chest and gave Hermione a very dramatic look. "And you're saying I'm not delicious, just this cake? Ah, those words cut deep." And they both laughed.
Cho looked at her one last time and with the sun casting a golden glow on her face, she looked divine and heavenly. Her hand slowly found Hermione's and she inched closer to her, their hips touching as they stared into the sunset.
"You know Hermione, at first…I didn't know how I felt about you. I originally thought that you were just an incredibly smart person, but that's all I thought. Now… my feelings have changed."
Hermione leaned her head on Cho's shoulder as she listened to her talk.
"At first I was confused… you remember… the time in the garden…"she chuckled, "I had liked Cedric, but then I started feeling those same emotions with you and it kind of… frightened me a bit. After that, I kept having mixed feelings. I liked you…a lot…but I guess I was trying to deny it to myself. That time in the library, I just had to release my feelings, but I was still in denial…yet…"
She tilted her head to look at Hermione, "Yet…now I know. I really do like you… a lot. I care for you just as much…no…probably more than I did Cedric…"
With just an inch separating their lips, she closed the gap and kissed Hermione sweetly with no regrets or doubts behind it.
They pulled back, both faces red from blushing and the sunset. Hermione nuzzled Cho's neck affectionately and smiled, "This is perfect and there's nothing wrong, so we don't need to worry."